Armed cadres of the banned CPI-Maoist took out a protest march in Maoist-hit Sukma district on March 18, the congregation has said to be organised against the so-called atrocities by the security forces on tribals.
As per the reports, a few top leaders of the banned outfit were part of the march, which culminated near Etraj hilla of Sukma adjoining the Odisha border. It’s been learnt that a large number of locals were also part of the said protest where slogans against the incumbent State and the central leadership were raised.
In a video surfaced pertaining to the protest, Maoist sympathisers can be seen attacking effigies of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Chattisgarh CM Bhupesh Baghel and local MLA Kawasi Lakhma with sharp weapons, and the effigies were later set on fire.
Members of the Chetna Natya Mandali ( a frontal organisation of the banned group), along with the locals, can be seen dancing on the drum beats while the other armed cadres can be seen pasting posters on the trees.
It’s been learnt that the Maoist are fumed by the establishment of 4 new security camps in the Konta area of Sukma, against which they are instigating the locals to organise more such protests; it is to be noted that more than 20 security camps have been set up in the insurgency-hit zones of the State in the last one year alone, the development occurred after the Central Government gave the nod to major offensive against the left-wing extremists operating in the State.
Vehicles engaged in construction work torched in Kanker
In another Maoist related development in the State armed cadres of the banned CPI-Maoist set ablaze as many as 14 vehicles engaged in road construction work in Kanker-Narayanpur interstate border of Chhattisgarh on March 19.
The incident occurred when around two dozen Maoist reached a road construction site in Gundul village in Koylibeda of Kanker and torched at least eight tractors, two bulldozers, two JCBs and other machines engaged in the road construction work.
The contractor has not informed us about the work; otherwise, adequate security arrangements would have been provided, a search operation was launched in the vicinity of the spot on March 20, said an official familiar with the development.
In a similar kind of incident, Maoist had also torched a number of vehicles engaged in a construction site near the partapur area of Kanker on the 19th of last month.
It is to be noted that Maoist activities are on the rise in the State lately, as numerous incidents of murders of citizens, arson, and attacks on security forces have been reported in the State in the last two and a half months alone.
